Experienced Latvian international Rihards Lomazs joins the Dragons

Cedevita Olimpija has strengthened its backcourt with the addition of Rihards Lomazs. The 30-year-old Latvian international, who can play at both guard positions, arrives in Ljubljana following an excellent season with Lithuanian side Neptūnas. He has signed a one-year contract with the Ljubljana club.

Rihards Lomazs will wear the Cedevita Olimpija jersey in the new season. The 193-centimetre guard brings a wealth of experience from European club competitions, international basketball and several European domestic leagues. During the 2025/26 season, he played for Neptūnas in the BKT EuroCup and was one of the Lithuanian team’s key players. In 16 appearances, he averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range. He will now compete in the same competition wearing the green-and-orange jersey.

“We have been dealing with a number of player injuries recently, so we had to react and strengthen the roster. Rihards Lomazs is an experienced and proven player who has competed at the highest level of European basketball and is an important member of the Latvian national team, so we are very pleased to have brought him to Ljubljana. His experience and quality will be extremely valuable to our team. Our wish is that he will quickly settle into the team and help us achieve our goals in every competition in which we participate,” Cedevita Olimpija Sports Director Chechu Mulero said upon the signing of the contract.

“We are pleased that Rihards Lomazs has joined us. Due to the numerous injuries we have been dealing with ahead of the start of the season, we needed to add another player to the roster. He is an experienced player whom I previously worked with at ASVEL, and he can play at both guard positions, so I believe he will be a great help to our team. There will not be much time for him to get to know the team and our system before the season begins, but his experience should allow him to adjust quickly. At the same time, he can help the other players continue their development and help the entire team establish its competitive rhythm as quickly as possible. He is joining us relatively late in the preseason, but considering the difficulties we have faced in putting together a full squad for our training sessions, he is also arriving at exactly the right time,” Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović said upon the signing of the contract.

“I’m very happy to have joined Cedevita Olimpija. It is a big and respected club, and I have heard nothing but positive things about it. I’m also looking forward to working with Coach Mitrović again. A few years ago, we came close to reuniting, so I’m happy that the opportunity has now presented itself for us to finally work together again. Our ambitions are high in every competition—the EuroCup, the ABA League and the domestic competitions. I’m delighted to be here and looking forward to an exciting and successful season together,” Rihards Lomazs said after signing his contract with Cedevita Olimpija.

Rihards Lomazs began his basketball career in Latvia, where he also played for Ventspils. He later competed in France, Germany, Türkiye, Spain, Italy and Lithuania. He gained EuroLeague experience with ASVEL—where he previously worked with Cedevita Olimpija head coach Zvezdan Mitrović—and Virtus Bologna. Last season in the EuroCup, he demonstrated his ability both to score and create opportunities for his teammates. He was also named the BKT EuroCup Regular Season Round 13 MVP.

Slovenian basketball fans had the opportunity to become better acquainted with him last season, when he scored 25 points for Neptūnas in a EuroCup game in Ljubljana. He also impressed in August’s friendly between the Slovenian and Latvian national teams at Tivoli Hall, recording 22 points and nine assists.

Lomazs is a regular member and the captain of the Latvian national team. At FIBA EuroBasket 2025, he averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. In the Round of 16 against Lithuania, he recorded 21 points and seven assists. He has so far appeared in eight games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers, averaging 18.3 points, 3.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.